Buried Truths
by ravengal
Summary: [Set in FE:A] Just what is Morgan's backstory? Who was he before he got amnesia? And WHY did he get amnesia? There are many theories. Here is mine.


Author's note: Well, hi there!

Firstly, there are **spoilers for Chapter 23** contained within. Read at your own risk.

With that out of the way...

Morgan is a concept that has boggled many a mind. Including my own. Can anyone truly come up with a feasible backstory for him/her? Can _I_?

... Well, _you_ tell _me_, I guess.

Please enjoy! And if you find any discrepancies at all, don't be afraid to talk to me about them!

Oh, also... things go slightly differently than you'll remember from the game. This is intentional.

Man, this fic was hard to write... I hope I did a _decent_ job, at the very least. It'll likely be in two parts, coz it was getting a bit too long to be a one-shot.

* * *

**Part One****: Origins**

Robin blinked several times, her mind hazy. What had just happened? It was as though she'd just pulled herself from a dream. Looking down at her feet, she was greeted with the sight of her husband lying face-down on the floor.

"Chrom?" she cried, rushing over to kneel beside him. "Are you alright? Chrom!" She shook him. There was no response. "Chrom, wake up!" She shook him again. Still receiving no response, she flipped him over. "Chrom, I-"

A sharp gasp shook her body. His beautiful blue eyes were blank and lifeless. Trailing her eyes down his torso, her eyes fell on the deep puncture wound in his stomach.

"No..." Tears spilled from her eyes. "Chrom..." A sob escaped her throat. It was followed by another. "Chrom!"

The man she loved was dead. The man she'd met only five years ago, when she'd bumped into him in Southtown, was dead.

What was she going to tell their children? He'd never see them grow up. Only a few weeks ago, they'd celebrated their son's second birthday...

* * *

"_Alright, everything's ready," Robin said. "We should go call Morgan inside."_

"_Heh," Chrom replied, "alright then."_

_Robin turned to Lucina. "Come on, hon."_

"_Okay!" She grabbed her mother's hand and the three of them headed towards the door that led to the castle garden._

_Outside, they saw Morgan playing tag with Frederick's daughter, Cynthia. Robin smiled at the sight._

"_I'll call him," Chrom said._

"_Alright, then," Robin replied, stopping at the door with Lucina. Chrom walked several steps ahead of her._

"_Morgan!" he called with a smile._

_Morgan turned to look at his father. "Hey, Daddy!" he replied._

"_You can come inside now! We have a surprise for you!"_

_Morgan's face lit up. "A surprise? For me?"_

"_Ooh!" Cynthia said. "I love surprises! Race ya!" She made a mad dash for the castle._

"_Hey, no fair!" Morgan raced after her._

_Robin laughed as the two children passed her. She was certain her son would enjoy his surprise party._

* * *

Well, at the very least, he'd been there to see his son turn two. It wasn't much comfort, but it was all she had. If only they'd known about the blasted gemstones sooner! If only they'd known just what the Fire Emblem could do! If only, all those years ago, when Validar had assassinated Emmeryn, they'd known not to let him take it.

Something throbbed in the back of her mind. She flinched from the sudden pain, clutching at her head.

_**Robin...**_ a voice inside her mind said.

She cried out in pain. She expected it to last, but it didn't. Soon enough, the voice faded from existence. For the briefest of moments, she wondered what it was. Then clarity hit her like a thunderbolt.

_I... I killed him..._ she thought, her breathing growing shallow, _I killed Chrom..._

Fresh tears spilled from her eyes. She'd killed him. She'd killed her own husband. Another sob escaped her throat. She hadn't meant to, hadn't _wanted_ to, but she'd done it all the same. Just what was she going to tell Lucina and Morgan?

Her eyes suddenly caught sight of something at Chrom's side. It was his faithful sword, Falchion. She stared at it for a few moments, tears rolling down her face. Maybe they could put this thing to use. It was a powerful sword, after all, having been passed down through generations of Ylissean royalty. It would be a fitting gift to their children.

Holding back more sobs, she carefully detached the sheath from Chrom's belt and gripped it tightly. This was all she had left of him.

She had to leave. She couldn't bear to stay here any longer. Her husband's lifeless face was staring unblinkingly at her and she could feel a dark aura surrounding the building. She'd have to tell the other Shepherds to take care of the body.

She was about to move, when she paused. Reaching a shaky hand over his face, she gentle pushed down his eyelids. Now it looked like he was sleeping.

Choking back another sob, she stood up and ran from the building.

* * *

The funeral was a miserable affair. All twenty-seven Shepherds and their thirteen children attended, creating a sea of black in the graveyard. Many tears were shed. Several people, including Frederick, opted to give speeches in Chrom's honour.

Throughout the ordeal, Morgan was quiet, though he never let go of his mother's hand. He didn't really know what was going on, but he knew that Daddy wasn't coming home. He and his sister had needed much consoling after being told.

As Robin listened to the words being spoken, sang along with the hymns and watched the coffin being lowered, she felt hollow. Nobody here knew it, but she'd been the reason for this. She'd been the one to deal the deadly blow. Anyone who'd asked had been told that it had been Validar who'd killed him. The truth gnawed away at her insides like a parasite.

_**Robin...**_ the voice said in her mind. _**Join with me...**_

A searing pain ran through her skull. She clutched at her head, wondering what was going on. After a few moments of fighting it off, the pain vanished.

* * *

Several years had passed since Chrom's funeral. A young Morgan had his face buried in a strategy book. His mother was nearby, immersed in her own text.

Suddenly, a cry of pain rang out. He immediately looked up at his mother in worry. "Mother?" he asked.

Robin was wincing, a cold sweat forming on her forehead. "I-I'm fine, Morgan..." she replied.

This had been happening for a few years now, though it had gotten much more frequent as of late. Was there something wrong with his mother? A condition, or something? Her headaches really seemed to be getting worse.

"Are you sure? Do you need anything?"

"N-No, thank you... I'm fine..." She grunted in pain before looking back down at her book.

"Well, alright..."

He glanced out the window. As usual, he could see his sister practicing her swordplay in the garden. She seemed to be getting rather good at it. Perhaps someday soon, she would be allowed to wield their father's old blade...

* * *

Robin had been fighting him off for years now. At first, she hadn't known exactly _what_ she'd been fighting off, but she'd gradually come to learn the truth. Inside her body, she harboured the heart of Grima. What this meant, she wasn't certain. Had the powers merely been bestowed upon her as a chosen one? Or was she actually a descendant of the Fell Dragon? Either way, it was beginning to wear her down. She was growing tired and weak, but she would continue to fight.

_**Robin...**_ the voice said, growing ever stronger. She winced, crying out in pain. _**I have waited long enough, Robin... Join with me...**_

_N-No..._ she thought, clasping her head with both hands. _I won't... I won't!_

* * *

Morgan had been spending the day playing chess with his mother. He had yet to beat her at a game, but he was getting closer with every loss. Not that he minded, because he enjoyed simply spending time with her. He wished he could spend the same amount of time with Lucina, but his sister was far too focused on following in what little they knew of their father's footsteps.

Suddenly, a noise of pure agony escaped Robin's lips. Morgan's head snapped up to see her clutching her head and tightly scrunching her face. Sweat pooled on her forehead, then a single drop fell down her face.

His eyes widened in horror. "_Mother_?" he cried.

She made the noise again. "M-Morgan..." she replied.

"_What's wrong_?"

"N... No, it's... it's fine... I... Argh!"

"Mother!" Robin stood up and immediately rushed from the room. "Mother!" Morgan threw aside his chair and followed her. "Mother?"

As he rounded the corner, he halted. In front of him, her back turned towards him, stood his mother, yet there was something different about her. A dark aura seemed to surround her. A strange sound then began to bubble from her throat. She was laughing.

Morgan found himself shuddering. There was something otherworldly and unnatural about that laugh.

"Excuse me, milady!" one of the castle maids said as she wandered over. "I'm really sorry, but I seemed to have ripped one of your shirts in the wash again! Please forgive me!"

Robin slowly turned to her, allowing Morgan to glimpse the dark smirk on her face. She let out a low chuckle.

"My, what a useless maid you are..." she said.

The maid's eyes widened. "What?"

"And they let you continue working here? If you were a servant of _mine_, such a thing would not go unpunished..."

"B-But I-"

Robin made a strange motion with her hand, creating a small blade of lightning within it. Morgan's eyes widened.

"Now cease breathing my air." She rammed the blade into the maid's stomach.

The maid coughed and spluttered. "M... Milady..." She stumbled around for a moment, before collapsing to the ground.

Morgan's heart jumped into his throat and got stuck there. He could barely breathe.

Robin chuckled, then let out a burst of maniac laughter.

"M... Mother..." Morgan whimpered.

"Hmm?" She looked over at him. "Ah, it's you." She made her way over to him. His feet screamed at him to run, but they remained glued to the floor in fear. She stopped directly in front of him. "Morgan..."

"M... M..."

She traced a finger along his chin, chuckling. "Don't worry, I won't kill you... so long as you be a good boy and don't breathe a word of this to _anyone_..."

"I... I..."

"I'm enjoying having free reign... and I'd hate for someone to ruin it..."

"I..."

She smirked. "Of course, anyone you tell will _also_ have to be... disposed of."

Morgan could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage. "I... I won't..."

"There's a good boy..." She backed off slightly. "You know, you'd make a decent servant. Much more reliable than that waste of space maid over there..." Morgan couldn't say anything in response. "Think it over. I could always do with a few more loyal followers..."

Turning on her heel, she walked away.

* * *

Morgan was still shaken, long after the castle maid's body had been cleared away and prepared for her funeral. While the castle was abuzz with questions of who might have done it, and why, he couldn't shake the image from his mind. What he'd seen his mother do had been surreal. He could hardly believe it, but he'd seen it with his own eyes. Looking at her now, one could never tell the horrors that he'd witnessed, for she was the same Robin that she'd always been. Just what was going on?

* * *

Over the months, there were more reports of maids being found dead around the castle. At first, Morgan had wanted to believe it had been a one-off, or that he'd imagined it, but that wasn't the case.

Not once did he speak of what he knew to anyone, especially not Lucina. He couldn't bear for her to suffer the nightmares that endlessly plagued him, both day and night. He also didn't wish for her to die.

Their mother seemed to have a split personality. One side was loving and caring, while the other was cold and merciless. Inevitably, the day came where he witnessed another of her murders first-hand.

This time, as he watched with ragged breaths and a tightening chest, she turned to smirk at him. "What's the matter, Morgan?" she asked. "You look a little... pale."

"I... Mother..." he replied.

"Hmm?"

"... Why?" Gulping down the anxiety, he felt some of his strength return. "Why, Mother?" His voice came out shaky. "Why do you keep doing this?"

"Hmm? Why?" Her cold laughter rang out. "Because these lowly castle maids are not worth the ground I stand on!"

"Wh... What?"

She held her arms open. "I am the Fell Dragon, Grima! And I shall wipe this planet clean of its filth!"

His breath hitched in his throat. "Gr... Grima? The... one from the legend?"

She laughed again. "The very same!"

A sliver of hope dared to blossom. "... So, then... you're not really...?"

"Your mother? Oh, but I am! We are one and the same, she and I. We are destined to be joined as one!"

"No..."

"Yes... and, when that day comes, I want you at my side... as my faithful servant!"

"Wha-?"

She gave a low chuckle. "Yes... by then, I shall have the power to do many things... I can take any form you wish... I can even clone you!"

"C-Clone me?"

"Yes. If you prove to be a valuable asset, it would do me well to create a perfect copy of you! Two budding tacticians are better than one, after all..."

"I..."

"Do think it over, child... I'll be waiting..."

* * *

Years passed and the attacks continued, with no one but Morgan knowing who was behind them. Only, now, it had spread to random townsfolk who wandered the city alone at night. Each time he witnessed one, he would be presented with the same offer. Did he really want to become his mother's servant? What did she mean by that? He wasn't quite sure. He just wanted her to go back to the way she was before all of this happened. He didn't like what she'd become.

Eventually, the day came where he snapped.

"What would Father think of what you're doing?" he cried.

Robin gave a low chuckle. "My dear boy..." she replied, "who do you think killed him?"

Morgan stumbled backwards in shock. "Wait... what?"

"That's right... _I_ did!" She laughed. "Oh, the words he uttered before he landed face-down on the ground!" She put on a pitiful tone. "Promise me you'll escape from this place... Please... go..." She laughed again, louder this time.

Morgan felt his blood run cold. His knees gave out from under him and he collapsed to the floor.

* * *

Robin just couldn't do it anymore. It had been many years, but she was finally at the end of her rope, trying to fight off Grima. Both her mind and body had grown weak. She'd barely gotten any rest and she was completely exhausted.

She quickly looked around to see if there was anyone nearby. "Grima," she murmured.

_**Yes, Robin?**_ the voice in her mind replied. It seemed slightly more smug than usual.

"If... If I give in to you... can you promise me you won't harm Lucina and Morgan?"

The voice chuckled. _**I certainly could...**_

"Then promise me! Promise me..." Her voice broke. "Promise me they'll be safe..."

_**Very well, then. You have my word they will go unharmed.**_

She honestly wasn't sure if she could trust him. A sense of overwhelming arrogance was permeating her brain, but she didn't have a choice. She truly felt incapable of fighting anymore, so she needed this one last piece of consolation.

"A-Alright... just... let me say goodbye to my kids..."

_**Very well...**_

* * *

"Lucina? Morgan?" Robin said, standing in front of her children.

"Yes, Mother?" Lucina asked with a smile.

Robin flinched. "I'm... going to be leaving you in the care of the castle maids..."

"... What?"

"What?" Morgan asked, his eyes widening.

"I'm... sorry, but your mother needs to... leave."

"Mother, where are you _going_?" Lucina cried. Morgan merely stared at his mother.

"I'm so sorry... I trust the castle maids will look after you, just as they always have... but I need to leave..."

"Wh... When will you come back?" Morgan asked. Robin looked at him sadly, not saying anything.

"No!" Lucina cried. "You're not abandoning us, are you?"

Tears fell from Robin's eyes. "I'm sorry..." she said. "I love you both so much... as I'm sure your father did... but you'll be safe, I promise..."

"Mother, no..."

"I'm sorry, I... Goodbye!" Robin ran from the room.

"Mother!"

"Mother!" Morgan cried.

Both siblings chased after their mother, dashing down corridors in a crazed attempt to catch her.

"Mother!" Lucina cried.

"Mother!"

By the time they reached the entrance to the castle, Robin had disappeared from sight.

* * *

On and on Robin ran, far away from the castle. Tears streamed behind her and she didn't dare look back. From this point on, there was only forward.

Eventually, legs burning, she collapsed on the grass, panting.

"I... did it... Grima..." she said. "Now... do what you will..."

Laughter echoed in her mind. _**Excellent...**_ the voice replied. **_Now, we shall finally be one..._**

After a moment, she felt a searing pain in her head. She screamed in agony. Instead of clutching her head, like she would normally do, she instead let the pain consume her.

Soon, she felt her entire existence begin to fade away. Now, at last, there would be no more fighting and no more pain. She could only hope that Grima kept his promise...


End file.
